O Saqi, May Your Wine Never Cease To Flow Poem by Ghulam Ahmad Mahjoor

O saqi, may your wine never cease to flow,
And may your glass forever have
The radiance of the sun !

It's when thorns clutch your robe
In the darkness of the night,
That you'll know how close you are
To the flowers in the field.

Your mosque and your temple
Are manifest round your eyes -
Your eyebrows solemn pulpits,
Your face a divine image.

When a leaf with the swaying breeze
Floated down at dusk,
The moth saw it as the candle's message
To immolate himself in fire.

With we two hand in hand,
Let rocks move and mountains shake,
Mine will be love's loud, clear call,
Yours the symphonies.

Love's lightning hit the cypress
On which I had built a nest.
My habitat was burnt away;
May yours ever stand !

In battle death comes once;
In love it's every moment.
But lovers do not mind
How dear your friendship proves !

Your table makes no distinction
Between friends and strangers,
Between kafirs and men of faith.
It's open to all lovers !

Mahjoor, O knowing souls, has come
With a new song for you !
It has some subtle point
For you to ponder over.

[Translated by: Triloki Nath Raina]